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Geoffrey Fischbach II
King Geoffrey Fischbach II (760-827) was a Human man and the twenty-second King of Cartham, ruling from 798 until his desertion in 820. He is considered to be one of the worst Fischbach Kings the realm has ever seen. He sired numerous bastards and abandoned the throne. Biography Early life Born in 760, Geoffrey was the firstborn child of King Earl Fischbach II and Queen Seraphina Deschamps. He was barely a year older than his brother Frederick, who was born in 761. He would have six more brothers and one sister, the youngest of whom would be born when he was fourteen. At some point in his youth, he was knighted. Still in his teens, Geoffrey fell in love with Alysanne Derwent. In time, Alysanne's father, Lord William Derwent, agreed to betroth her to Geoffrey. At the time of their betrothal, Geoffrey already had a bastard daughter, which led to Alysanne commenting that Geoffrey would never keep to one bed, despite his love for her. Alysanne's sister Seraphina would later state the Geoffrey only saw Alysanne's beauty, and never recognized her boldness and strength of will. However, Alysanne would die under mysterious circumstances in 781. Geoffrey was haunted by Alysanne's memory and the desire for vengeance, though he wasn't sure who would receive it. Though Geoffrey had no wish to marry after Alysanne's death, the realm needed an heir. On November 21, 782, Geoffrey married Alysanne's younger sister Seraphina. A tourney was held to celebrate the wedding. However, during their wedding night, a drunken Geoffrey accidentally whispered "Alysanne" in Seraphina's ear while consummating the marriage, an act that would set the tone for their marriage. Seraphina is known to have wept during the bedding. While Geoffrey "claimed his rights" frequently during the early years of their marriage, his drinking led to him hurting Seraphina during those encounters. When she confronted him once during their first year of marriage, Geoffrey claimed it was because of the drink, and he was not to blame. Geoffrey claimed he did not remember anything of those nights, but his wife maintained that he did recall what he did to her, but felt that pretending to have forgotten was easier than facing the truth. Over time, Geoffrey came to Seraphina's bed less frequently, not even once a year. Seraphina came to loathe her husband, and her cold attitude toward him created a distance between them. Geoffrey remained in love with Alysanne for years after her death, placing further strain on their marriage. Seraphina was aware of several of her husband's affairs, though she became less angry and rather jaded over the years. Geoffrey and Seraphina would have only two children, Seraphina and William. Reign At the death of his father in 798, Geoffrey and Seraphina were crowned King and Queen of Cartham. Geoffrey did not like his kingship. He changed by becoming king, and not for the better. Geoffrey was a decadent, corrupt ruler who indulged his passions and whims at every opportunity. He found business concerning coin, crop, or justice tedious. Geoffrey rarely attended Royal Council sessions, and on the rare occasion that he did attend, he tended to doze through them. He left the task of ruling to the Council. Geoffrey hated finance, but loved to organize tournaments and feasts, and so emptied the Royal Treasury. Though his father left treasure vaults overflowing with gold, Geoffrey's spending left the crown in debt of over six million Darics, having borrowed from various noble houses. Geoffrey's misrule started with small acts of pleasure, but in time his appetites knew no bounds and his corruption and oppression led to acts that would haunt the realm for generations to come. He filled his court not with men who were wise, noble, or honest, but those who could flatter and amuse him. The women at court were largely those who could do the same, letting him slake his lusts upon their bodies. On his whims he gave to one House while taking from another. He deprived men of their rightful inheritance when he desired their wealth. Geoffrey gave away priceless treasures to lords who managed to please him and for the sake of his desires. He used promotions of the Cartham City Guard as a way to shower largesse on those he most favored, and they in turn made sure the brothels and even the decent women of the city were made available to Geoffrey's lusts whenever the king desired. To the smallfolk, Geoffrey's reign might have been a source of gossip and amusement. To the lords of the realm who did not stay at his court, and who did not wish Geoffrey to take liberties with their daughters, he might have seemed strong and decisive, frivolous, but largely harmless. Those who were actually at court saw him for what he truly was. Geoffrey was too mercurial, too greedy, and too cruel to be anything other than dangerous. By all accounts, Geoffrey was not close to his heir, Prince William Fischbach, though he loved him. Geoffrey disliked that William always cried when he picked him up as a babe, as his bastard children all gurgled at him happily. Geoffrey claimed that he dreamed of giving up his crown, but the thought of William on the throne with his mother Seraphina whispering in his ear stopped him. Due to his frequent whoring, Geoffrey sired several bastards during his marriage to Seraphina, though he kept them out of sight. He was estimated to have fathered sixteen children in addition to his two trueborn children. The eldest of his bastard sons, named Geoffrey after his father, was born shortly after his marriage to Seraphina. Geoffrey once suggested bringing the boy to court when William was insolent. When Seraphina threatened the boy's life, Geoffrey hit his wife, but he refrained from bringing Geoffrey to court. The other bastards were mostly daughters, born to baseborn women and prostitutes. Some of them were even killed as children, and many believe that it was done under the orders of Queen Seraphina. Desertion and death Geoffrey's only trueborn son and heir, William, died unexpectedly at the beginning of the 9th century. Following his son's death, Geoffrey began to seriously consider giving up the throne. The deaths of his siblings Clifton and Seraphina, and finally his own mother in 814 and his daughter in 817 brought Geoffrey to the brink of madness. In 820, Geoffrey deserted the kingdom, leaving Cartham with no apparent heir. Following Geoffrey's desertion, the Royal Council scrambled to locate an heir, and settled upon the bastard Geoffrey had suggested be brought to court. Geoffrey, the son of the king and the prostitute Mary Gringel, was legitimized and crowned king. Seraphina was enraged by the decision and intended to have Geoffrey assassinated before she was arrested for treason and jailed. She died in the Royal Castle's dungeons in 826, and Geoffrey died in obscurity a year later of natural causes. Physical appearance Geoffrey was noted to have thick hair on his chest. He was very tall, and when he was young, he was handsome and clean-shaven. His hands were notably rough and hard. He was strong, powerful, and muscled. However, as he aged, Geoffrey's appearance changed. Due to excessive feasting and drinking, Geoffrey gained a significant amount of weight. Bloated and fat, his eyes were almost lost in the fat of his face, and his legs were too weak to support his belly. He was known for being red-faced from drink, with dark circles under his eyes, and for walking as if he were drunk while sweating through his silks. His beard, which was described as wild, thick, and fierce, hid his double chin. Personality & traits Geoffrey was well-loved by soldiers, being brave, but headstrong, rash, and impatient. He was proud, and was known for holding true to words spoken in a drunken bravado. He was not used to people disagreeing with him, and was often manipulated by others if advised not to do something. Among the Royal Council, he was described as a great oaf, a fool, and an ignorant, dumb, slow-witted, drunken brute of a man. He was practiced at closing his eyes at things he would rather not see, as in the case of his several bastard children. Geoffrey was known as a man of huge appetites, who knew how to take his pleasures. He was unable to curb his hunger, however, as his lusts, gluttony, and desires ruled him. His lusts were the object of ribald drinking songs throughout Cartham. As King, Geoffrey was not loath to impose upon the hospitality of his subjects, no matter whether it was voluntary or forced. At the same time, he also possessed a great, though careless, generosity. He loved to hunt, hawk, and dance. Category:Characters Category:Males Category:Humans Category:Royal Family of Cartham Category:Kings Category:Deceased Individuals Category:Widowed Individuals